My favorite memories are hot and humid days, you wake up and don't even bother putting on a shirt, just board shorts. Load up SUP board, spend the day paddling down a river with friends or maybe just a solo trip using my skateboard as my shuttle. Or if it's during the week, I hit the lake right after work and get a long flat water training session before I go play sand volleyball til 1am, ignoring the fact I have yet to eat dinner or that I have to be at work by 9am the next day. It's summer. Days are longer, its always warm and sunny, and I refuse to be indoors. This lasts until the time change.

There's plenty of winter athletes who thrive in winter. The temperature drops and the snow falls and they hit the mountains. I am not one of those people, yet I try not to complain. I try to make the most out of my situation. I'm in Dayton, Ohio which is quite flat. No mountains but plenty of rivers to paddle. We do have an indoor climbing gym a few miles from my house that I try and go climb 4-5 times a week for training and become a better climber and I may play in an indoor volleyball league just so I don't get rusty. Weekends I'll still try and get out to river surf if weather permitting and the playwave isn't washed out flood rains. This is still my biggest struggle since I can't paddle everyday with work until 5pm and no daylight afterwards. But if it's above 25 degrees and isnt crazy bad windy/snowy, I'll be out on the water.

A drysuit is an absolute must unless you got one heck of a wetsuit and it's not too cold outside. Wetsuit or waterproof gloves are a must too. Without them, you may last 30 seconds before you can't feel your hands. Some good moisture wicking base layers, and some decent insulation layers over top that. Great part is I can park 100 ft from the playwave at Eastwood Metropark on the Mad River or drive to Springfield to their park on Buck Creek. I do have options and I'm grateful to have these spots to go. Whether its a 3 hour surf session or 30 minutes before I'm back in my car trying to thaw my fingers and toes out, Im still out there paddling. I can honestly say I've never had a bad day paddling. It beats sitting on my couch waiting for Spring, thats for sure!

As a Summer river rat, that's how I survive Winter. You can always change your situation if unhappy or at least your outlook on it. Life is always what you make it.